San Clemente, CA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- 9.04.080
- Covers
- Public property and visible private property
- Exception
- Using a public restroom
- Enforced by
- San Clemente Police Services
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
San Clemente makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate on private property in view of the public, or on any public street, sidewalk, alley, park, or beach, unless the person uses a public restroom instead. The rule applies citywide, including the beach and pier areas that draw the heaviest foot traffic.
No person shall urinate or evacuate his/her bowels on private property in an area exposed to public view or on any public street, sidewalk, alley, park, beach or other public place or property, except in a public restroom.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Traffic: Supplement 30 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
2 and last amended by Ordinance No. 1664 in 2018, bans urinating or evacuating one's bowels in two settings: on private property in an area exposed to public view, and on any public street, sidewalk, alley, park, beach, or other public place or property. The only carve-out in the section is using a public restroom. The ordinance does not distinguish between residents and visitors, and it applies regardless of intoxication, meaning it can be charged alongside, or instead of, a public-intoxication offense. 020, all common companion charges during beach-season enforcement along the pier, Municipal Beach, and Avenida Del Mar corridor.
Because the section covers private property exposed to public view as well as public property outright, a person relieving themselves in a visible side yard or an unfenced parking lot can be cited just as readily as someone doing so on the sand. San Clemente's Police Services division handles most citations under this section, including along the beach and pier.
Violations & Fines
Section 9.04.080 carries no chapter-specific fine, so it defaults to the general penalty at Section 1.16.010: a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 and up to six months in county jail, or, if charged as an infraction, escalating fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for each later offense within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is public urination illegal on San Clemente's beach?
Can I be cited for this on my own property in San Clemente?
What's the penalty for violating San Clemente's public urination law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Clemente
California rules heatmap·Compare San Clemente to another location·View the California public conduct overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Public Urination in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle public urination.